Grading machine bin



y 1949- M SHERRY LUPTON 2,4

GRADING MACHINE BIN Original Filed Aug. 9, 1941 Patented May 24, 1949STATES $471325 GRADING MACHINE BIN McSherry Lupton, Winchester. Va.Original application August '9, 1 941,*Serial" No. 406,177. Divided andthis-*aipplib'zttionJulyZG, 1946, Serial "NO. 6865543 2 Claims. 1

This-=invention-relates -to apparatus for grading of fruit andvegetables and pertains particularly to the structural details of a.sorting or packing bin such asiscommonly located at the side of agrading machine. From such bins persons packing the fruit are accustomedto select fruit and'place-iti-n shipping containers, such as baskets-orboxes.

This invention relates particularly to the-structural details of the binand its associated lower marginal wall. Certain of the details pertainto the mounting of a door which is so pivoted that it may be swungdownwardly and outwardly from the wall, whereby fruit may be "movedexpeditiously'by'the' packerfrom the bin to the shipping containers.'Other details of the improvement relate to means for protecting thefruit including a padded surface for both the upper face of the binand-the next adjacent face of the door, whereby fruit is protected initspassage outwardly and "downwardly over the upper surface of the door.Another detail advantage relates to the detent meanswhereby an elementprojecting fromthe'lower edge of the doo is yieldably held so that thedoor becomes relatively fixed in either'the extreme open or extremeclosed position andthe door is held with increasing resistance as itapproaches or leaves the verticalposition.

'The foregoing andadditional details and advantages o'f'the inventionwill be understood from the followingspecification and claims and fromthe accompanying drawings'in which- Fig. 1 represents a'plan view of theside wall anddoor and the adjacentupper surface of a I fruit packingbin,-embodying the improvements of this invention;

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, facing theexterior of the side wall of the bin;

Fig. 3 is a-sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in thedirection of the arrows and showing the essential related parts of thedetent means for holding the door;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. '3 with thedoor in open position; and

Fig. 5' isa's'ectional view taken on the lined-5 of Fig. 2 showing thepivotal'mounting of the door at one end thereof.

Referring in detail to'theseveral figures of the drawings, likereference characters identify like partsin each of 'the several figures.

-In' the drawings, l is thefloor of-a packing bin having anincline'd'surface as indicated in'Figs. 3- and 4. 2='-indic'ates-thevertical side wall-at the lower edge of *bin l. -=3"is' a pivotallymounted 2 I door which is -located in arecessin the wall '2. The bin 1is shownashaving supporting legs or irameworlMl, thus to holdthe bin inits proper relation to thepther-parts of the grading'machine, notillustrated. Protection for fruit againstdamage by br-uising is providedby a padded surface havingatextile outer covering indicated at 5extending overthe upper surf-ace of the floor ofthe bin I. Asimilarpadded-sur face having asimilar textile cover 6 is provided ontheadjacent surface of the wall 2- and door'3.

The padding and covering discontinued downwardly at the outeredge of thebin l, and the padding-and covering 6 is continued beneath the door 3.-As shown in FigQl, a padded groove i8 is provided between 5 and 6whenthe door 3 is down, thus serving to catch fruit which mightotherwise tend to roll from'the bin.

The door 3 is 'pivotally 'mounted and adapted tobe lowered fromtheposition shown in Fig. '3 to the position shown-in Fig. 4,-as will bedescribed. 'In the 1o'w'ermost position of the door, guard straps '1servethe' function of preventing fruit from falling off ofthe' ends ofthe door. These straps have one end-secured tothe'wall 2 and theiropposite ends secured to'the opposite ends of the door 3. It willbe'observed'that the lowermost of the side edge of each of the straps lwhich is the edge "next adjacent the axis of rotation of the door,is'low enough to'p'reve'nt'iruit or other articles being graded fromescaping laterally. In other words, these straps are intended to preventthe'fruit from falling on and the straps are not intended to serve aslimit stops for the lower movement'of thedoor. When the door 3 is initsuppermost and closed position, the straps 1 project outwardly as"loops, asshown in Figs. 1 and '2, butwhen the'doorls in its lowermostposition, thestr'aps are straightened out and prevent the inadvertentloss of fruit from the ends of the door. The straps'may be of anysuitable flexible material,-as for example canvas or' leather.

Detent means 'for'holding the door 3' in either the closed oropenposition includes a strap metal spring elements which is mounted onthe underheath-surface of thefioor of the bin 1 and-projects outwardlybeyond theo'uter and'lower edge of the hint and is-provi'ded on itsextreme outer 'end with an upwardly curved-permeate- (Figs. 3 and 4).One erid of the spring element 8 is secured to the floor 'of 'thebiln'lby af-bolt ll having a nut t0. -Betweenthe-bolt '9 and the end withrespect to the bin floor 1 b'y means of a beit at having an adjustingscrew 91), wherebythrust downwardly on the projecting upper surface ofthe element 8, is adjustably controlled. The spring element 8constitutes one main portion of the detent means. A second andcooperating portion of the detent means is provided by a flanged memberH which is mounted on the lower portion of the door 3 and has thefollowing characteristics. The flanged member H is shown in Figs. 3 and4 as an angle member, one face of which is secured to the lower edge ofthe door 3, and the opposite side Ila of which angle member projects inthe plan of the door 3, downwardly as shown in Fig. 3 and laterally asshown in Fig. 4. A bolt having a head I2 is provided with a shank l3which passes through the heighth of the door 3 from top to bottom andextends through one wall of the angle member Ii. A nut l4 mounted on thebolt l3 serves to clamp the angle member H to the adjacent lower edge ofthe door 3.

Th function of the detent device, including the parts 8, 8a and Ha, iseffected by cooperation which explained as follows. When the door 3 isin its vertical position, closing the opening in the wall 2, the inwardmovement of the upper edge of the door 3 is limited by the engagement ofthe lower edge of the flange Ila with the upwardly turned lip 8a of thespring member 8. In the opposite direction when the door 3 is lowered,the outer end of the flange I la engages the under surface la of thenext adjacent edge portion of the bin floor I, and as shown in Figs. 3and 4. The under surface of the floor of the bin has been undercut orrecessed to provide a por tion I a against which the adjacent and uppersurface of the flange llarests when the door is in the position shown inFig. 4.

The pivotal mounting of the door 3 is effected simply but satisfactorilyby means of pins [5 which may have a driven fit into the opposite endsof the door 3 adjacent its lower edge. These pins, as shown in Figs. 1,2 and 5, have a portion projecting into the door and another portionprojecting outwardly therefrom. The outwardly projecting portions ofpins l5 are adapted to be thrust through angle member I 6 mounted on theadjacent portions of the wall 2. One side of an angle member is adaptedto be faced against the wall 2 at either side of the door opening, andeach angle member has a right n le flange adapted to be fitted orotherwise extend into the space between the adjacent ends of the walls 2and the door 3. The last mentioned flange has an opening through whichthe outer end of the pin I5 is adapted to project, and within which thepin is journaled. Preferably the walls 2 are notched at I! opposite theouter ends of the pins l5 whereby the ends of the pins I5 may be fittedto the wall 2 after the flanged element I6 has been applied to the pinl5.

The structure described herein has proved to be convenient and tofacilitate the movements of the packers whose duty it is to remove thegraded fruit or vegetables from the surface of the bin and to pack suchobjects in shipping containers. During a packing operation, packersshould be able to move alongside of the wall 2 of the apparatus and thewall 2 should be clear of any projections which might tend to catch theclothing of the persons performing the packing operation. When a packeris ready to go to Work opposite a door 3, he is supplied with boxes orbaskets or other shipping vessels. He lowers the door 3 so that he willbe able to move his hands quickly from the upper surface of the floor ofthe bin to remove fruit or vegetables therefrom one by one and placethem in orderly manner in the shipping containers. Usually fruit orvegetables which have been graded are wrapped individually or packedwith shredded paper, or both operations are used. An experienced packermoves his hands at a very high rate of speed. During the movement, theselected fruit or vegetable may be picked from the bin and wrapped andplaced in the shipping container in practically one continuous motion ofthe hand. The present apparatus serves to make such speed possible,because when the door 3 is lowered. there is no necessity for theoperator to raise either his hand or the article to be packed upwardlyand over a marginal wall such as is represented by the wall 2.

A further factor of convenience to the packer is provided by theadjustable and frictional engagement of the edge of the flange Ila onthe upper surface of the spring element 8. The door 3 may be pulledoutwardly until the flange Ha is at right angles to the spring 8 andeven slightly beyond the right angle position, thus making it possibleto lower the door 3 somewhat whil yet retaining it by frictionalengagement between the part ll'a and the upper surface of the spring 3.It is obvious that, after the door 3 has been pulled outwardly andlowered a substantial distance, the flange Ila will no longer engage theupper surface of the spring 8 and that the door 3 must then continue toits lowermost position.

This is the divisional of my application filed August 9, 1941, SerialNo. 406,177, now Patent No. 2,335,594, Grading machine.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a padded packing bin havingupright sides for receiving fruit to be packed, said bin having a doorpadded on its inner surface and pivoted to the bottom of the bin so asto be flush with the side of the bin when in the upright closedposition, and a detent device engaging said door for maintaining saiddoor in the upright closed position against the weight of the fruit inthe bin and limits its closing movement upwardly and inwardly at thetermination of the upward closing movement, said door having a plateextending from the door downwardly when the door is in the uprightposition and said detent device including a leaf spring mounted on andextending from beneath said bin floor and having at its outer end anupwardly extending end element, said plate being adapted to have itsouter edge portion bear against the upper surface of said spring andengage the upwardly extending element whereby inward closing movement ofthe door is limited, said detent exercising its maximum resistance tothe movement of the door as the door approaches and leaves the verticalposition.

2. In a machine of the class described, a padded packing bin havingupright sides for receiving fruit to be packed, said bin having a doorpadded on its inner surface and pivoted to the bottom of the bin so asto be flush with the side of the bin when in the upright closedposition, and a detent device engaging said door for maintaining saiddoor in the upright closed position against the weight of the fruit inthe bin and limits its closing movement upwardly and inwardly at thetermination of the upward closing movement, said door having a firstplate extending from the door downwardly when the door is 6 in theupright position and said detent device including a second plate mountedon and ex- REFERENCES CITED tending laterally from .beneath said bin flr and The following references are of record in the having at its outerend an upwardly extending file this p t end element, said first platebeing adapted to 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS have its outer edge portionbear against the upper surface of said second plate and engage NumberName Date the upwardly extending element whereby in- 565,239 Maxwell 4,1396 ward closing movement of the door is limited, 596,632 fl 1893 saiddetent exercising its maximum resistance to 10 699,342 Nlckerson May1902 the movement of the door as the door approaches 1,093,336 Cutler eta1 P 21, 1914 and leaves the vertical position, the relation be-2,149,586 De B0er 7, 1939 tween said first and said second plates being2,131,342 391d 1 1939 such that said second plate is constantly pressedFOREIGN PATENTS upwardly against said first plate. 5 Number Country DateMCSIERRY LUPTON .4 8 anCE July 5, 1932

